Monday, December 31, 2007

This post was first posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2007. Since then, Gaea has kindly sponsored Decembers' Monthly Challenge with a great prize of her art beads! I have added to the interview some pictures from Gaea's Flickr that perfectly fit this month's All Wrapped Up theme. Entries must be in by midnight tonight...Happy New Year's everyone!

2. What kind of beads do you make? What kinds of processes do you use? What is your favorite beadmaking technique?

I make ceramic beads by hand building some and press molding others. I love "free form" creating molds. I love sculpting little pieces like stars or flowers in clay to create a scene or story. I guess I really like the story telling aspect of it.

3. How did you get into beadmaking? What are some of the important things you do for your business?

My business started as a love of jewelry and a need to stay home with my son. I was "down sized" from an art director job after I had my son. I had made jewelry as a side thing for fun and gifts and had spent many years in the ceramic studio at collage and LOVED it! Totally addicting. I would decorate pots and cups with "jewelry" bits. One holiday season I had wanted to make some of my own components and picked up some sculpey. Baked and painted it with some fun results. My husband quickly pointed out that the pieces would be a good fit for ceramics. Ding! Light bulb moment! We experimented and fired up the old kiln. That first batch was horrible but really amazing with potential. Just seeing how the different clays and glazes worked together was just pure excitement!

4. What is your workspace like and how do you work in your studio? What is a typical day like?

My workspace is where ever my kids are but mostly the kitchen and bathroom. The patio is crammed with my work things. Kiln, glazes, clay tools, jewelry supplies, beads in various states are all kept there, safely out of the munchkins reach. They do like to play with the clay. My two year old still likes to put it up her nose or eat it so it's closely supervised. Luckily when you work from home you have flexibility to get things done at your own pace. I try to center my day around my kids. Beads are pretty portable and most things if planned right cant be taken with us. It is a joy to be able to take my son and daughter to school and pick them up, take swim lessons, gymnastics or a martial art. I would hate for them not to have those opportunities. If I'm in the car on a family trip I make a kit to take with me. I usually bend wires or do something that is repetitive but I can still carry on a conversation. Our days are pretty full so laundry and pick up time often get over looked for reading or coloring.

5. How do you stay inspired and motivated?

Inspiration comes from all directions! Necessity is the mother of invention sometimes. Other times my family are my inspiration. The past, good memories, even bad one. There is room for everything in inspiration. Life.

6. What type of beads and jewelry designs do you feel best compliment your art beads? Do you design your own jewelry too?

I love designing jewelry. My Mom and I are both jewelry addicts (I will blame this on my Mom!). I've spread the bead disease to here now though and we hit a local gem faire pretty hard a few weeks back! Go Mom, GO! I've been heavy into wire wrapping for a while and feel like that lets each bead make its own statement but also tell a story with the other elements. I feel stuck in the "necklace" and should break out of that a bit into other things. I've been thinking about hair ornamentation for a while and playing with some ideas on and off. 7. What beady plans do you have for the future? Do you have new designs or ideas you will be exploring soon?

A few years ago I made these light up wood, story wall boxes that had decoupage and beads. Maybe revisiting this idea with handmade beads would be a hoot.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Above is Jean Yates' entry for this months All Wrapped Up challenge. Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to enter! We here at Art Bead Scene would like to congratulate Jean on the release of her new book "Links" which is now available on Amazon!

About.com Jewelry Making New Year's Eve means it's time to put your big bling pieces on, and Tammy has lots of ideas to make you super sparklie.

Jewelry & Beading One of Cyndi's designs was chosen for a new book on the Art of Jewelry ~ Wood. Come and see her necklace, called "Measure Twice, Cut Once"!

Katie's Beading Blog Katie's getting ready for the next filming of Beads, Baubles and Jewels. This week, she shares a cool necklace idea using a chain bail and tassel.

Savvy Crafter No clue what jewelry you’re wearing to the big New Year’s Eve bash? Hop on over to Candie’s blog for an easy and festive fix!

Snap out of it , Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean just had to repost these sweet necklaces that she made for the childrens' teachers as holiday gfts! They are just too yummy looking snuggling up aganst the luxurious rose velvet pouches she packaged them in. Happy Holidays to the VIPs in our lives!

Did you read or write any good dirt on a bead blog this week? Leave us a comment and a link and tell us the latest scoop!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

This post was first posted by Tari Sasser, undisputed Queen of Purple, on July 26th, 2007

This has nothing to do with Oprah or Whoopie, unless of course they LOVE purple too! My favorite color is purple. If they make it I will find it. Here's what I found in beading related items in the color Purple.

Artistic purple or Artsy Fartsy items to wear! You need to be comfortable and fashionable while you bead. So let's get dressed so we can go shopping!Start singing, "Purple Rain, Purple Rain......ooow."

Step 3: One on wire, thread a pattern of 1 size 8/0 seed bead, 1 silver seed, 1 size 8/0 seed bead until your desired length. Thread crimp bead, make sure all the beads are tightly pressed unto the beading wire, with no gaps, flatten crimp bead. Make sure the crimp bead is completely flattened, as this is what holds the beads unto the wire. Trim beading wire if it is showing. Repeat step for the other wire, varying the length if desired.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

This helpful tip was first posted by Virginia Miska on October 18, 2007. It's a great way to remove tarnish from your silver jewelry, pendants, beads, and findings using regular household products!

Did you know that you can brighten up your tarnished silver components and jewelry without leaving your kitchen? Baking soda is the secret ingredient in this method which I recently put to the test and have directions and photos to share with you.

You will need:

baking soda

aluminum foil

pot

boiling water

metal tray

The photo below shows some ear wires that have been on sample boards for the last five years and had developed some unsightly tarnish.

Below are two cups of boiling water to which I've added 1/2 cup of baking soda.

After lining a shallow toaster oven baking tray with aluminum foil and arranging the ear wires so that each one had contact with the aluminim foil, I gently poured the water and baking soda solution over the findings. This photo shows the bubbles that formed during the chemical reaction.

Here are the ear wires free from tarnish and ready for a little buffing with my Sunshine Cloth.

A simplified explanation of the science behind this method is that when silver tarnishes, it combines with sulfur from the air and forms silver sulfide which is black. There are two ways to remove this coating – one is to remove the silver sulfide from the surface using abrasion and the other is to reverse the chemical process. When the tarnish is removed through abrasion (polishing) some of the silver is also removed. With the method described today none of the silver is removed. The aluminum is effective because it has a stronger affinity to sulfur than silver does, so the warm baking soda solution carries the sulfur atoms from the silver to the aluminum.

Thank you Cindy Gimbrone for bringing this method to my attention. Now there's no need to stress when I notice that my silver pieces are tarnishing with this quick, easy and inexpensive method!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

This post was first posted by Cindy Gimbrone on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Since then, I have also personally been inspired by Renaissance jewelry, and Cindy showed us two great Renaissance inspired projects using filigree pendants during our 12 days of Christmas event this past month.

You may feel the same way once you feast your eyes on jewelry in the style of the Renaissance . Full of pearls, gold filagree and gems in long strands, it's luscious! This wasn't jewelry for the masses but rather for the wealthy and those of royal birth.

To celebrate the holidays, the editors of Art Bead Scene are taking the week off to be with our families and friends. This week, please enjoy some re-posts of what we think has been some of the Best of Art Bead Scene this year!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Twas the night before Xmas and all through the house, not a beader was stirring, we were all beaded out! The bracelets were strung, with art beads and care In hopes that the giftees would find delight there

The beadmakers were nestled all snug at in their beds while visions of glass and clay danced in their heads...We wish you a warm and festive Christmas Eve! Hope Santa is good to you all!